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Chesterton says it will disband local dispatch center effective Sept. 1, 2026; council cites county consolidation timeline
Summary
During board comments the chair announced the town will disband its dispatch center on Sept. 1, 2026, after unsuccessful attempts to pause Porter County's consolidation schedule; the council said the county deemed the risk of a single dispatcher acceptable and the town plans to proceed with notice.
The Chesterton Town Council announced it will disband the town's dispatch center as of Sept. 1, 2026, sending formal notice to county officials and the regional 9-1-1 board. The chair read the town's notice and said the decision came after attempts to negotiate a pause with Porter County.
"We're not asking permission. We're giving notice that our Chesterton dispatch center will be disbanded as of 09/01/2026," the chair said. He told the council the county's communications board had determined the previously established consolidation schedule would remain unchanged and would not assume dispatch responsibilities prior to Oct. 1, 2026. The chair said that determination meant the town will be reduced to one dispatcher by Sept. 1.
The chair framed the matter as one of safety and local control, saying county direction left the town little choice and expressing frustration that county planners had built staffing and training schedules around the Oct. 1 date. The town’s letter to county leaders and the 9-1-1 board was presented in the meeting record; the county responded that consolidation planning had proceeded toward an Oct. 1 implementation date and would not move earlier.
The council did not record a formal vote on the disbanding during the meeting; the statement was delivered during board comments as a notice of the town's intent and the council advised the public of the schedule change and staffing consequences.
